Grinding attachment for lawn mower sharpening machines



Feb. 3, 1953 J. M. PlCKEL 2,627,142

GRINDING ATTACHMENT FOR LAWN MOWER SHARPENING MACHINES Filed April 27, 1950 Zhmentor James 4/. l l'cke/ attornegs Patented Feb. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRINDING ATTACHMENT FOR.LAWN

MOWER .SHARPENING MACHINES .James'MQPickeLKansas City, Mo., assignor to OscarC. Rink, Liberty, Mo.

Application-April 1950, Serial No. 158,445 2 Serial'No..158;367, 'filedApril 27,1950, the applicant in saidco-pending application being assignee .of the entirev rig'htslin't'hepresent application.

In reel type mowers the stationary bed blade .or knife issecured to a bracket member and cooperates with the ourve'd'blades on the reel for cutting thegrass as .the mower is propelled over the ground. The bed blade must be sharpened at intervals and it is necessary to remove the bracket and blade .in order to accomplish this purpose.

The .principal object of the .present invention is to provide an attachment for sharpening the be'd'blade of a lawn mower after ithas been removed from the mower, and it is particularly designed for use on a support of a grinding machine for lawn mowers wherein the entire lawn mower is held on one end of the support opposite from the end upon which'the attachment is'h'eld.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide clamping means on one end of a support adapted for mounting thebed bladefthereon; to provide a trackway on said platform including a mounting for a motor .for carrying agrinding wheel; to provide rollers for mounting of the support for the motor on one of said tracks and a roller mounting on the other track; to provide means for movement of one of said tracks relative to the otherlso as to adjust the cutting wheel to the bed blade 'for'movement of the cutting wheel'therealong; and to provide a, device of this character, "simple, economical to manufacture and eflicient in operation.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, '1 haveprovided'improved structure the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings; wherein:

fEigfl is a side view .of a lawn mower grinding machine partly in cross section, and illustrating the supporting platform and themain grinding wheel mechanism with the present attachment mounted thereon.

.Fig. 2 .is a vertical crosssectional view showing the adjusting means for the attachment.

Fig. 3 is .a perspective viewof the trackway and motor mounting of the attachment shown disassembled from the platform of the grinding machine. v

'Re'ferrinemorein detairtothedrawing:

I designates a grinding machine for lawn mowers having a tubular standard 2, provided with a plurality of removable feet 3, clamped to the lower portion of the standard by bolts 5. Mounted on the standard 2 is a platform I preferably a casting having end portions 8 and 9 and sides I and II. The platform is secured to the standard 2 by bolts or the like (not shown). A pair of braces 14 and I are provided on each side of the standard and secured thereto'by'a .bolt !8, the other end of the braces being secured to the respective sides It and H of the platform near the ends 8 and '9 by bolts l1 and iii to form a rigid structure.

A frame structure It is slidably and rotatably mounted on the platform I. A plate 2!], having depending flanges near its respective ends is'provided for movement across the top of the platform I. A plate 28 is welded to the plate and a plate 29 is welded to the underneath side substantially near the center of a base plate 30 of the frame It. The base plate 30, p1ates'29, 28 and 2b are centrally bored and a base'reinforcement plate is also centrally bored and threaded for receiving the threaded end of a bolt (not shown) to hold the frame l9to the platform 1. By loosening of the bolt, the frame may be moved longitudinally of the platform 8 as desired.

Mounted on the respective ends of the base plate are short shafts 3 1 'forming'trunnions 'for a pair of bracket arms 35, the trunnions extending into openings in the respective ends :of the'arm. The bracket arms have an enlarged base ends provided with openings spaced from the openings for the trunnions'to accommodate the ends of a tube 49, forming a trackway for mounting of a motor 41 thereon, for driving "a grinding wheel 42. The carriage '45 is movable on the tube so the motor'dl maybemoved thereacross.

An arm 52 is mounted 'on the motor carriagefor mounting of the grinding wheel thereon. 'The outer end of the arm 52 is provided 'with'a head 54 consisting of a housing 55. The housing 55 is provided on one side of the head '54 for a pulley (not shown) mounted on the shaft of the grinding wheel and over which "a belt H runs to the pulley (not shown) on the motor 4| for rotating the grinding wheel 42 upon operation of the motor as is the usual practice. The outer ends of the arms 35 are provided with'means as indicated at F3 for adjusting the grinding wheel to the work but this mechanism forms no part of the present invention.

Mounted "on the respective ends 8 and 9 of the platform 1 near the lower portion thereof are clamping devices 92 and 93. As these clamping devices are substantially identical, only one will be described. A plate 94 is secured to the end 8 of the platform by bolts 95 and 98 and formed integral with the plate 94 are outwardly extending base arms 91 and 98 having notches 99 in their upper edges providing lower jaws. Extending upwardly near the plate 94 on each arm are ears IOI to which jaws I03 and I04 are pivotally mounted by bolts I02, the jaws I03 and I04 being positioned above the jaws 91 and 98. The lower jaws are provided with an openin near the outer end for pivotally mounting, by means of bolts or the like, clevises I06 and I01. The outer end of the clevises are bored and threaded for set screws I08.

The grinding wheel 42 is adjusted in respect to the reel of a lawn mower by means of a U- shaped member I22 attached at one end by bolt I24 to the arm 52 and is provided with a threaded pin I21 having a handle I28, the lower end of said pin being rotatably secured in a roller bearing support member I that rides a tube parallel to and spaced from tube 40. Thus by rotating the pin I21 the grinding wheel 42 is raised or lowered as desired.

I I5 designates the stationary or bed blade of a mower which runs parallel with the spiral blades on the reel of the mower, the blade being provided with a sharp edge and secured to a bracket II6 having its respective ends secured to the frame of the mower as is in usual practice.

I designates a frame comprising spaced arms I42 provided with openings near the respective ends adapted to receive the ends of rods I43 and I44, the ends of the rod I43 providing trunnions upon which the arms I42 are mounted. The rod I43 is clamped between the jaws 98 and I03 and held securely therein by tightening of the screw I08, in the clevis I01. Slots (not shown) are provided in the respective ends of the arms I42 and set screws (not shown) adapted to engage the threaded lateral openings in the ends of the arms for adjustably retaining the rod therein. The plate I which engages over the top of the rod I44 is Welded thereto. A pair of clamping members I52 is provided for holding the blade I I5 on the plate I50, the clamping members having flanges depending from outer edges thereof and provided with threaded bore openings adapted to receive the threaded ends of locking pins I53 provided with heads to facilitate loosening and tightening thereof. The opposite ends of the clamping members are provided with inwardly extending flanges adapted to engage the underneath side of the plate I50. Tightening of the locking pin on the plate I 50 will hold the clamping member in the desired place to accommodate stationary blades of different lengths.

In order to mount the stationary blade for sharpening on the framework structure, the clamping members I52 are provided with webs I60, and attached by welding or other suitable means to the outer side of the web is a tubular member I6I in which is adapted to extend a pin having its upper ends turned to form a, hook I 63, the other end being threaded to accommodate a thumb nut I64 for holding the blade II5 on the frame work structure.

Referring particularly to the attachment for the machine as embodied in the present invention, it will be noted that the plate 94 for securing the clamping member 93 to the end 8 of the platform is mounted higher than the clamping member on the opposite end 9. The end plate 8 being provided with an opening below the opening for the lower bolt so that the plate may be moved upwardly and downwardly on the end 8 as desired by manipulation of the bolts.

A channel shaped rail member I16 is secured to the top of the platform I and spaced from the end 8 thereof. The channel member I16 is provided with a bolt I11 fixed to the lower side of the channel member, and the bolt I11 extends through opening I18 in plate I19 which has its respective ends engaging under the side rails 24 on the inside of the sides I0 and II of the platform and a nut I11 is threadably secured to the lower end of said bolt to engage the lower surface of plate I19 thus holding the channel member I16 in place. A tubular track member I is secured in the channel member I16 by welding or the like as indicated at I8I. Secured to the end of the channel member by welding or other suitable means and extending outwardly from the end 8 of the platform 1 are tubular arm members I82 and I83 substantially square in shape. The outer ends of the tubular members are provided with an opening I84 adapted to receive a reduced threaded end I85 of studs I86 having knobs I81. Secured on short arms I88 which have threaded bores I89 to receive the threaded ends I85 of the studs I86 is a tubular track member I90.

A base ISI for a motor I92 is provided for movement on the tubular members I80 and I90. Brackets I93 are provided on the respective side edges at the rear of the base I9I having the lower level edges inclined as indicated at I94 to which are attached at an angle rollers I95 and I96 adapted to engage the respective upper sides of the tubular track member I80. At substantially the center of the base I9I near the outer edge thereof is a bracket I91 on which is mounted a roller I 98 by a pin I 99, the roller engaging upon the tubular track member I 90. The motor I92 is provided with the usual shaft 200 on which is mounted a grinding tool 20I. A housing 202 is provided for the grinding tool and at the upper end thereof is a hand hold 203 for use by a user for movement of the grinding tool across the structure when it is in contact with the stationary blade II5.

In operation of the structure as above described, and after the blade I I5 has been mounted on the clamping members I52, the grinding tool is adjusted to the blade by manipulation of the threaded studs I 86. Turning of the stud in a clockwise direction moves the tubular member I99 downwardly, consequently, lowering the outer end of the motor so that the grinding tool will contact the blade to be sharpened. When it is desired to raise the grinding tool, movement of the studs I86 in an anti-clockwise direction will raise the motor. When the proper adjustment is made the user takes a hold of the handle 203 to manually move the motor with its grinding tool across the trackways which comprise the tubular members I 80 and I90. The V-shaped mounting of the rollers on the tubular member I80 pro vides for pivotal mounting of the motor. The set screw 204 at each end of the track I80 provides a stop for the motor base, the motor and its base being removable from the tubular members I80 and I as desired.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that I have provided an improved attachment for grinding machines for lawn mowers having novel clampingmeans for holding the stationary or bed blade on the machine and for adjustment of the grinding wheel to the blade.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a machine having a standard and an elongated platform carried on the standard and provided with a work support at an end of the platform adapted for mounting" a blade to be sharpened, an attachment including a channel-shaped rail having the Web portion thereof seated on the platform, a stud fixed to the rail and extending downwardly through the platform, clamping means on the stud for an choring the rail in fixed position on the platform,

arms fixed to the ends of the rail and projecting,

beyond the end of the platform having the work support, a track member supported in the channel-shaped rail, studs carried by the projecting 9 ends of the arms, a track member having support by the studs and adapted to be raised and lowered with respect to the other track member upon adjusting the studs, a base, means carried by the base tiltably mounted on the track members and having support on the track members, and a motor driven tool on said base.

2. In combination with a machine having a standard and an elongated platform carried on the standard and provided with a work support at an end of the platform adapted for mounting a blade to be sharpened, an attachment including a channel-shaped rail having the web portion thereof seated on the platform, clamping means for securing the rail to the platform, arms fixed to the ends of the rail and projecting beyond the end of the platform having the work support, a tubular track member having fixed support in the channel-shaped rail, threaded studs carried by the projecting ends of the arms, a tubular track member having threaded connection with the studs and adapted to be raised and lowered with respect to the other track member upon turning of the studs, a motor base tiltably mounted on said track members, wheels carried by the motor base and having rolling support on the track members, a motor on the motor base, and a tool on the motor base actuated by said motor.

3. In combination with a machine having a standard and an elongated platform carried on the standard and provided with a work; support at an end of the platform, an attachmentfor the machine including a fixed rail member extending transversely of the platform with the ends overhanging sides of the platform, arms fixed to the ends of the fixed rail member and extending beyond the end of the platform having the work support, means for clamping the fixed rail member to the platform, a complementary rail member, a motor base tiltably mounted on said rail members, a motor driven tool mounted on the motor base, wheels on the motor base having rolling support on the rail members, and studs journalled in ends of the arms and having threaded connection with the ends of the complementary rail member for adjustably raising and lowering the complementary rail member with respect to the fixed rail member to tilt the motor base and position the tool with respect to the work support.

JAMES M. PICKEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 348,753 Le Roy Sept. 7, 1886 1,389,588 Klay Sept. 6, 1921 2,149,774 Ingleman Mar. '7, 1939 2,187,289 Utterback Jan. 16, 1940 2,286,970 Maynard June 16, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 619,401 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1949 

